March 12, 2011

Most Coaches in Tressel's Situation Lost Jobs: The Columbus Dispatch reports that since 2006, the NCAA has sanctioned 27 schools for violating the bylaw requiring coaches and others to be forthcoming about possible NCAA violations. Of the 12 coaches involved, one kept his job and all the others resigned or were fired. Ohio State fined coach Jim Tressel $250,000 and suspended him for two games because he knew of potential violations related to memorabilia sales by his players and didn't tell the school for months. "If ever there was a scenario that screamed for a bowl ban, this is it," writes Yahoo's Dr. Saturday blog. "Tressel's duplicity in December was specifically in service of winning a bowl game."

I can confidently say that this will never happen. Just look at their track record. They didn't suspend Pryor and his teammates so they could play in their bowl game. They didn't do anything to Cam Newton, yet Perry Jones III's (Baylor basketball player) mother received a loan from a coach when he was in high school, that he didn't know about, and he got suspended for the rest of the year. The excuse the NCAA used to protect their national title game was that Cam Newton didn't know about his father's solicitation of money from schools, allowing him to continue playing. The NCAA has come down especially hard on Indiana's basketball program, historically as well. Inconsistency is the most apt word to describe how the NCAA handles violations.

Inconsistency is the most apt word to describe how the NCAA handles violations.

I think it's better described as "consistent inconsistency", a pattern of selective enforcement that doesn't ever jeopardise the merchandise. That includes their periodic after-the-fact punishment of big schools (like the USC crackdown) just to make it look even.

Suspended for two games. So he can, in the meantime, still recruit and coach. He just can't be on the sidelines for those two games. Outrageous. And using Woody Hayes as a paragon of good sportsmanship and morals. Stupity. That about sums it up.